Food, Health & Safety

Safety and Security

Camper safety is our foremost concern. Camp Laurelwood is licensed and overseen by the State of Connecticut and the American Camping Association. All camp activities are staffed and operated by properly trained and licensed staff to assure safety in all camp areas.

Camp Laurelwood has a long-standing and close working relationship with the town police department who patrols the camp site throughout the week. Camp also consults with CT State Police, FBI, and homeland security, who each provide training to our staff on how to deal with minor and major situations as well as security issues.

All campers from Day Camp through seventh grade are accompanied by staff at all times. Older campers have the opportunity to report to activities without staff, but are checked in and accounted for at each location.

Close camper supervision sets Camp Laurelwood apart. Campers will never be left alone in their bunks. Following evening activities, a counselor remains in the bunk to supervise campers. At curfew, all staff return and sleep in the cabin.

All staff is trained to be extremely vigilant throughout each day including reporting any suspicious persons or activities to the camp office. All visitors and deliveries must check in at the camp office to receive permission to enter.

Food Service

Delicious, camper-friendly meals that are nutritious and satisfying are an important ingredient at Camp Laurelwood. Our wonderful chefs are professionally trained and certified with extensive cooking and food preparation experience.

Each day begins in Camp Laurelwood’s spacious dining hall with a piping hot breakfast including pancakes, French toast, eggs, omelets, waffles, home fries, toast, English muffins or bagels. Campers love our daily fresh fruit bar, hot cereal selection, and cold cereal option, with orange juice, milk and hot chocolate available.

Hearty lunches for growing, busy campers include grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, grinders, pizza, deli, macaroni and cheese and sloppy Joes. The fresh daily self-service salad bar includes tuna salad and egg salad. Desserts of home-made cookies, cakes, fresh fruit, ice cream and Italian ices top off the mid-day meal.

Dinner menus are camper favorites and include tacos, turkey, chicken, stir fry, pasta, cookouts, and traditional Shabbat Friday night dinners with homemade challah. Each meal includes a side dish, cooked vegetable and salad bar. Home-made cookies, cakes, cupcakes, fresh fruit, ice cream and Italian ice are yummy desserts.

Daytime snacks of fresh fruit and granola bars are available. Before bed-time campers can visit the mess hall for an evening snack.

Canteen

Included in each camper’s tuition is a visit to our Canteen, featuring snacks and cold drinks. The Canteen is open daily except for Saturday’s observance of Shabbat. On opening day parents can establish a canteen account with extra funds for miscellaneous items such as stamps, shampoo, soap and other necessities.

Health and Medical

Camp Laurelwood prides itself on an outstanding Health Center which is well-equipped for daily needs as well as emergencies. Before opening day, the Health Center staff review all camper medical information to help make the first days of camp run as smoothly as possible. We are also staffed with two registered nurses on-site each day who live at camp and are available on-call around the clock. Six days a week, a physician from Shoreline Pediatrics visits camp to see patients, allowing nurses and doctors to provide the best possible medical care for each camper. Parents of campers requiring prescription medications or overnight stays in the Health Center will be notified by phone.

Camp Laurelwood’s Health Center operates and is certified according to the guidelines of the State of Connecticut and the American Camping Association.

Parents will receive a manual which explains Camp Laurelwood’s over the counter and daily medications policies. This manual will also be available online.